Effects of altitude gradient and physical and chemical soil factors on functional and distribution characteristics of Ferula haussknechtii H. Wolhff ex Rech. f.  (Case study: Bayenchob Rangelands, Saral of Kurdistan)

Hoseini, Seyedeh Habibeh; Heshmati, Gholamali; Mirza, Mehdi; Karami, Parviz

doi:10.22092/ijrdr.2019.119365

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Ph.D. Student of rangelang, Department. of Range Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

² Professor, Department of Range Management, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

³ Professor, medicinal plants Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of range and watershed management, Faculty of natural resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22092/ijrdr.2019.119365

Abstract

This research was conducted to evaluate the environmental factors affecting functional characteristics (biomass, density, regeneration, cover%, basal area and species richness) of Ferula haussknechtii in Saral rangelands of Kurdistan. After determining three altitude classes (1850, 2250 and 2650 m), a systematic-random sampling was performed to measure aboveground biomass, cover percentage, height, basal area, and density of Ferula haussknechtii with 1.5-m2 plots along transects. In each plot, a soil sample was taken from 0-30 cm soil depth. Soil texture, CaCo3, acidity, electrical conductivity, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium were measured in the laboratory. Analysis of variance of data was done using a randomized complete design with R software, and also CCA was used to compare the relationship between species and environmental factors. The results showed that aboveground biomass, vegetation percentage, height and density of Ferula haussknechtii increased with increasing altitude, while the basal area of this species decreased. The green biomass, cover percentage, basal area and height of this species were positively correlated with nitrogen, carbon, potassium, silt and clay and negatively correlated with acidity, phosphorus and sand. The results also showed that due to the impact of this valuable species on the soil stabilization, forage supply and production of active ingredients, altitude, nitrogen, carbon, clay and silt were the most effective factors in establishing this species.

Keywords

References

Aghajanloo, F. and Ghorbani, A., 2016. Effects of some environmental factors on Ferula gummosa and Ferula ovina distribution in Shilander mountainous rangelands of Zanjan. Journal of Rangeland, 9 (4): 407-419.

-Bahrami, B. and Ghorbani, A., 2016. Investigation and determining environmental factors affecting on distribution of rangeland habitats in Southeast of Sabalan. Journal of Natural Ecosystems of Iran, 7 (1): 33-44.

-Gurgin karaji, M., Karami, P., Shokri, M. and Safaian, N., 2006. Investigation relationship between some important species and physical and chemical soil factors (case study: Farhadabad sub catchment in Kurdistan’s Saral ranglands). Journal of Pajouhesh and Sazandegi, 73: 126-132.

-Hasanpouri, R., Tavili, A. and Javadi, S.A., 2017. Relationship between soil properties and distribution of plant species in central Zagros Rangelands by CCA method (Case study: Sarabe Narm Rangelands of Khorramabad). Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research, 23 (4): 800-809.

-Idrissa, S., Moussa, B.M., Issiaka, Y., Mahamane, A., Karimou, A.J.M. and Saadou, M., 2017. Ecological Drivers of Ecosystem Diversity in Sahelian Rangeland of Niger. Rangeland Science Journal, 7 (3): 265-288.

-Iturrate-Garcia, M., O’Brien, M.J., Khitun, O., Abiven, S., Niklaus, P.A. and Schaepman-Strub, G., 2016. Interactive effects between plant functional types and soil factors on tundra species diversity and community composition. Journal of Ecology and Evolution, 6: 8126–8137.

-Jafarian, Z., Arzani, H., Jafari, M., Kavian, A., Zahedi, Gh. and Azarnivand, H., 2010. Vegetation community in relation to the soil characteristics of Rineh rangeland, Iran. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 8 (2): 141–150

-Kargar-Chigani, H., Javadi, S.A., Zahedi-Amiri, GH., Khajeddin, S.J. and Jafari, M., 2017. Vegetation composition differentiation and species-environment relationships in the northern part of Isfahan Province, Iran. Journal of Arid Land, 9 (2): 161–175.

-Mesdaghi, M., 1999. Range management in iran, Astan ghods razavi publications,259p

-Moeslund, JE., Arge, L., Bøcher, P. K., Dalgaard, T. and Svenning, J., 2013. Topography as a driver of local terrestrial vascular plant diversity patterns. Nordic Journal of Botany; 31: 129-144.

-Mosivand, A., Ghorbani, A., Zare Chahouki, M. A., Keyvanbehjour, F. and Sefidi, K., 2018. Environmental factors affecting the distribution of Prangos uloptera in rangelands of Ardebil province. Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research, 24 (4): 791-804.

-Motamedi, J., Alilo, F., Seidaei Karkaj, E., Behjou, F. and Ghoreisi, R., 2013. Investigation on relationship environmental factors and grazing intensity with vegetation cover in Khoy rangeland ecosystems. Journal of Plant Ecosystem Conservation, 1 (3): 73-90.

-Piri Sahragard, H., 2014. Evaluation of statistical models efficiency to predict the distribution of plant Species, (Case study: Qum Province Rangelands). PhD thesis of Range management, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, 157 pages.

-Piri Sahragard, H. and Zare Chahouki, M. A., 2016. Classification and Ordination of vegetation in arid and semi arid rangelands Case Study: Rangelands of Hoze sultan and Khalajestan of Qom Province. Journal of Watershed Management Research (Pajouhesh and Sazandegi), 110: 63-76.

-Qiu, K., Xie, Y., Xu, D. and Richard Pott, R., 2018. Ecosystem functions including soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and available potassium are crucial for vegetation recovery. Scientific Reports, 8: 7607.

-Sanaei, A., Zare Chahouki, M. A., Ali, A., Jafari, M. and Azrarnivand, H., 2018a. Abiotic and biotic drivers of aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands. Journal of Science of the Total Environment, 615: 895-905.

-Sanaei, A., Ali, A. and Zare Chahouki, M., 2018b. The positive relationships between plant coverage, species richness, and aboveground biomass are ubiquitous across plant growth forms in semi-steppe rangelands. Journal of Environmental Management, 205: 308-318.

-Sanaei, A., Ali, A., Zare Chahouki, M. A. and Jafari, M., 2018c. Plant coverage is a potential ecological indicator for species diversity and aboveground biomass in semi-steppe rangelands. Ecological Indicators, 93: 256-266.

-Tayebnejad, A., Asri, Y., Pakravan, M. and Najidzadeh, M., 2017. Study of some environmental and vegetative characteristics of three species of endemic rangelands in East Azarbaijan province. Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research, 24 (2): 393-403.

-Zare Chahouki, M. A., Khalasi Ahvazi, L. and Azarnivand, H., 2010. Environmental factors affecting distribution of vegetation communities in Iranian rangelands. Vegetos- An International Journal of Plant Research, 23 (2):1-15.

-Zare Chahouki, M. A., Mashgholi, M. and Jafari, S., 2015. Classification of vegetation cover related to the environmental factors (Case study: Gharebagh rangelands of Azarbaijan province). Journal of Plant Research, 28 (5): 995-1005.

Effects of altitude gradient and physical and chemical soil factors on functional and distribution characteristics of Ferula haussknechtii H. Wolhff ex Rech. f. (Case study: Bayenchob Rangelands, Saral of Kurdistan)

References

References

Volume 26, Issue 2July 2019Pages 447-458

Volume 26, Issue 2
July 2019
Pages 447-458